- The Source of the Health and Longevity

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3 That s why Japanese Food is Loved All Over the World - The Source of the Health and Longevity Yoshikatsu Murooka Translated by Ichiro Saeki

4 Published by Science Publishing Group 548 Fashion Avenue New York, NY 10018, U.S.A. ISBN: Yoshikatsu Murooka The book is published with open access by Science Publishing Group and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License ( which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original author(s) and source are properly credited.

5 Preface World travelers preferences for national cuisine Tuscany, located on the west coast of Italy, is one of the most famous wine brewing areas in the country. In the old town of Siena, perched on a hill, vineyards stretch as far as the eye can see. I once visited the old town in a Fiat driven by professor of my friend and charming assistant professor of Bologna University. We enjoyed the local Tuscan cuisine (Fig. P.1). Even though it was only the afternoon, the professor ordered plate after plate of pasta and poured different kinds of wine one after another telling us, This Chianti red wine is good with this pasta and this Toscana white wine is good with that pasta. I realized that we, Japanese are not yet a match against Italians in wine selecting even if we consider ourselves to be a wine connoisseur. Fig. P.1 Enjoying Italian foods at a restaurant in Siena, Italy. III

6 Preface This situation is similar to the explanation that we give foreign tourists to Hiroshima, saying, Among Japanese Sake made with soft water of the Saijo area, Kirei is comparatively a little sec dry and Hakubotan is demi-sec and Kamozuru is famous as a Ginjo-shu, a sake brewed from extra-polished rice, and Kamoizumi is popular as a good Junmai-shu, that is, a brewed sake with special rice and pure water (Fig. P.2). But I can say that any kind of sake is fit for every Japanese food. Fig. P.2 Japanese sake brewing factories in Saijo, Hiroshima, Japan. Saijo is known as one of the best three sake brewing towns together with Nada (Kobe) and Fushimi (Kyoto) in Japan. Clockwise from upper left, Hakubotan, Kamozuru, Kamoizumi and Kirei sake brewing factories. Eight factories in this area including the four factories pictured above are brewing sake in the winter season. Appreciating the local food and wine is always a pleasure when travelling abroad. No Japanese people want to go abroad for the purpose of trying foreign countries versions of Japanese food. The same thing could be said for people from foreign countries who visit Japan. IV

7 Preface 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Fig. P.3 Ranking of favorite country s foods. The data were surveyed in 7 countries. Each examinee was allowed to choose multiple countries except for their own country. Marked point ratio per examinee s number is shown as a percentage (%). (Report from JETRO, 2013). Table P.1 Ranking of national cuisine by international travelers *. No. National cuisine % 1 Italian 32 2 French 24 3 Japanese 18 4 Chinese 13 5 Spanish 11 6 American 10 7 Mexican 8 7 Thai 8 9 Taiwanese 5 9 Indian 5 * hotel. com. How popular is Japanese food, or washoku, aboard? Table P.1 shows how the local foods of 10 countries are popular among people who travel around the world. V

8 Preface It is surprising that Japanese food is ranked higher than Chinese food, and it could be said that Japanese food is becoming more and more popular. According to a different survey, Japanese food is the highest ranked favorite national cuisine when examinees can mark all answers that apply to them (Fig. P.3). Personally, I try the local foods of the countries I visit and very rarely eat the Japanese food there. The local foods reveal the character of the country. So when we taste the local foods, it can be said that we can touch the culture of the country. It is even better if the local foods are cheap. Because the locals are often eating local produce, they don t charge unreasonable prices. If you forgo the restaurants which foreign tourists often visit, and look for a locally-run shop, foreigners are mostly welcomed warmly even if you cannot communicate in the native language. A few times I have been asked to join them in drinking and singing. I once visited a local restaurant in Madrid with my wife. Although we could not speak Spanish, I happened to find a word, Octopus on the menu. Octopus sashimi is one of our favorite Japanese foods, so we ordered some octopus dishes. We were almost speechless with surprise when we saw an 8 legged octopus with a boiled bold red head sitting on each dish. All the customers in the restaurant were looking at us and then burst out laughing with us. We got familiar soon and talked together about Spanish and Japanese dishes. When I was spending my youth abroad, I could do without Japanese food for a couple of years. Maybe because I am old now, and nearing the end of my journey, I come to long for Japanese food. I come to want to eat foods like udon, soba and ochazuke, in particular. That s why I cannot introduce the Japanese food from the point of view of a gourmet. Thus, in this book, I m going to explain the background of the global Japanese food boom from a scientist s point of view. We often hear about the health benefits of Japanese food from Europe or the USA, but the papers which were written about it from the scientific aspects were rarely published. I was once invited to the International Symposium held at MIT, VI

9 Preface which was held to commemorate the retirement of a famous professor. I thought that it would be a good chance for me to give a lecture on the science behind traditional fermented Japanese food. As I expected, my lecture was well received and some participants in the symposium said to me, This is the first time I ve ever heard the science behind Japanese foods. I was also asked to write this lecture into a review paper by the chief editor of a scientific journal. Thus, I submitted a paper *1 written in English which was built of several papers which had been published in Japanese. Looking back, I am not completely satisfied, but this paper is read and cited most often even now among many original papers and reviews that I have published in English. Citing various papers and reviews, I will start my simple introduction to the scientific basis of why Japanese food is a source of health and longevity. For those who are not familiar with Japan, I will also introduce typical Japanese dishes and the culture concerned with Japanese food on the basis of my previous book written in Japanese *2. *1 Murooka, Y. and Yamashita, M., Traditional healthful fermented products of Japan, Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, 35: (2008). *2 Murooka, Y., Dakara Yappari Nippon Shoku: Kaigai Kara Mita Nippon Shoku no Miryoku, Tokyo Tosho Syuppan, Tokyo, Japan (2013). VII

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11 Contents Preface... III Chapter 1 Traditional Japanese Fermented Foods Produced by Using Lactic Acid Bacteria Improve Our Health Fermented dairy products can contribute to longevity Living organisms are classified with evolution as a guide The first dairy products traced to cattle depasturing in the Pamir Highland The origin of producing yogurt, butter and cheese Lactic acid bacteria isolated from plants used in traditional Japanese foods Probiotics can improve our intestinal functions Lactic acid bacteria isolated from plants induce cytokines which regulate the immune system Are lactic acid bacteria effective allergy treatment? The effectiveness of lactic acid bacterial products on allergy Double blind tests are necessary to prove the effectiveness of products I once had roundworm Could lactic acid bacteria prevent gastric cancer? Lactic acid bacterial strain determines effect on health Summary Chapter 2 Japanese Vinegar: Pair Komesu with Sushi. Drink Kurosu for Your Health Vinegar, made from alcoholic beverages The Qimin Yaoshu and the origins of vinegar Rice vinegar made from Japanese sake IX

12 Contents 2.4 What was the true character of bacterial pellicles kept up for one century Recent taxonomy uses molecular biology My research at NIH Traditional fermentation techniques passed on for generations Traditional Italian ingredients from the Emilia Romagna Region Traditional Italian balsamic vinegar Why is vinegar good for our health? Rice vinegar demand will rise with Sushi Summary Chapter 3 Japanese Sake Takes Her Rightful Place in the Ranks of International Wine? Kagami biraki has international cool Quality water and rice makes quality Sake Ginjo-shu is artistic Sake produced from extra-polished rice Traditional Sake brewing nurtured high skill of biotechnology Various kinds of alcoholic beverages in the world are different from Japanese Sake Unforgettable memory of margarita, tequila cocktail Biofuels were once Japanese specialties in the World War II Is Sake the best medicine? Too much drinking causes various diseases Is it true that red wine prevents arteriosclerosis? Japanese Sake is being produced in the USA Ginjo-shu should be protected by the international Commercial Law Summary X

13 Contents Chapter 4 Soy Sauce, Shoyu, is a World-Famous Seasoning of Umami Washoku, Japanese home cooking, is the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage The fifth taste Umami was born of Washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine Industrial production of Umami was born by Japanese fermentation skill How and where do we feel tastes and smells? Why do people of every race feel soy sauce delicious? Japanese soy sauce was born from Miso Traditional and modern methods of soy sauce production Soy sauce is also a seasoning which is good for health Please do not drink soy sauce even if it is good for health We can buy soy sauce at many stores all over the world Summary Chapter 5 Genetically Modified Foods are Not Fearful Are Genetically Modified (GM) foods safe? How to make genetically modified foods Gene technology was beginning to develop when I visited the USA for the second time Labeling of GM foods is helpful to consumers, but it is consumers who decide to eat them or not GM foods can solve food crises in the world Summary Chapter 6 Miso, Fermented Soybean-Barley Paste, is the Source of our Power Miso is full of local colors Miso keeps the doctor away XI

14 Contents 6.3 Content of salt in Miso is no problem, but Miso is exported abroad indeed Summary Chapter 7 Koji, a Mold, Plays the Most Important Role in Making Japanese Fermented Foods Japanese Koji is a treasure of the world Can a computer take over the Toji, master of brewer? Genomes of Koji mold designate the special feature of enzymes Japanese Koji does not make aflatoxin, a carcinogenic substance Summary Chapter 8 Natto is the Key to Longevity Natto bacteria were originally inhabitants of rice straw Why is Natto good for the health? How to select good health foods and supplementary foods without being affected by misleading advertisements You should not take the same supplementary food too much even if it is good Natto labeled genetically modified Natto is sold in Japan now Summary Chapter 9 A Great Variety of Garnishes of Japanese Cuisine Serving edible wild plants, Sansai, in four seasons We make several varieties of Japanese pickles, Tsuke-mono Wasabi is essential for Sashimi and Sushi Substances contained in garnish promote the death of damaged cells Our cells check abnormal DNA and keep normal cells Seaweed foods have a lot of substances which are good for health Japanese hot cuisine, Nabemono and sukiyaki XII

15 Contents 9.8 The secret of longevity is Washoku, Japanese foods after all Summary Chapter 10 Anti-aging Genes and Thrifty Genes May Change Your Life Anti-aging genes prolong the life How to calculate your BMI Even Japanese foods make you fat if you eat them too much Human beings have had genes which can conquer their hunger The leptin gene can make us get less fat Fatness invites danger of developing cancers Summary Chapter 11 Restaurants in the World Serving Japanese Food The first time I visited the USA was during the Vietnam War Traditional auspicious foods for special days Japanese food education brought about safe functional foods Japanese restaurants where Japanese cooks are not seen Today s lunch is Bento, a box lunch Summary Chapter 12 Japanese Food Loved by Overseas People Ranking of Japanese dishes loved by overseas people Rice grown in Japan is delicious indeed The first vitamin was found in bran of rice by a Japanese scientist Why are Japanese brand of rice, Kosi-hikari or Akita-komachi delicious? Culture of rice cultivation that will recover the earth Fertilization of rice paddy utilizing symbiosis between plant and rhizobia XIII

16 Contents 12.7 They look really cool young people who bear the destiny of agriculture and fishery on their shoulders Japanese green tea is becoming more and more popular California rolled Sushi and bowl dishes, Donburi are popular in overseas countries Invitation to Japanese restaurants is pleased We have weekend parties by cooking fresh fishery Summary Chapter 13 Is Japanese Food in Foreign Countries Safe? It takes much time to master making good Sushi Food sanitary education by HACCP You should take care when you take salad in developing countries The key to safe transportation is the technique of preserving foods after sterilization New technique of sterilization for keeping freshness Sashimi is swimming in Shoyu, soy sauce Summary Chapter 14 More and More Japanese Restaurants are Opening in the World It is good for the health, delicious and safe. This is why Japanese Food is Loved all over the World Japanese treasures which Japanese people don t notice In serving dishes in Japan, ceramics are also regarded important Summary Afterword XIV